Fitness Kitchen

Crosstraining?

2010-07-11T10:35:00.001-05:00

Mercy Magic

2010-06-24T21:08:00.005-05:00

My time in Ardmore is winding down and, frankly, I'm looking forward to new challenges and a new environment, but I'd be amiss to not appreciate the awesomeness I've been privileged to be a part of here.

I've worked lots of places in my fifty years and mostly with some wonderful colleagues and supervisors. In retrospect, I can't think of any really bad work experiences I've had.

But this group in Ardmore...man, they're something special.

Magic.

Please indulge me and let me introduce them...

Leader of the pack is the Skipper, Harvey. He's a guy that dots the "i"s and crosses the "t"s. He knows a lot. A whole lot. He's taught me more than he will ever know. And he's a biker - extra kudos to Harvey for that. He knows more than any of us, yet is the epitome of humbleness.

Wayne, who I think of as Thurston, is someone I strive to be like. He didn't need to be here, yet he joined the group under an uncommonly difficult situation. He was a late addition, he played catch-up. His work ethic and adaptability are amazing. So is his ability to save Brent's a**.

Deb or Ginger, and I use that nickname in it's most admiring form, has been a savior. She's taken on roles none of us could have played. She faced audiences that would have cowered the strongest of us. She performed with determination, perseverance, professionalism and heart. A true artist, she is.

Lori can only be Mary Ann. She's to the point, organized, dependable and anything else one would want in a sister, mother, daughter or best friend. Quick story...Lori was once in a confrontation situation with an overly demanding student. During a "cooling-down" break another stake-holder mentioned to Lori "watch out, that woman just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq". Lori's reply was, "I've raised three kids, let her bring it on." That moment in time will forever let me remember Lori.

And finally, my co-host in crime, DeWayne "dynamite" Knight, who I think of as the Professor, has taught me so much about teaching. If it wouldn't make me a middle child, I'd want him for a younger brother.

Me? I'm just happy to be Gilligan in this three month tour.

Thanks to all of you who have made this past experience a remarkable time in my life...and curse you for setting the bar so high for the future!

My Favorite...paragraph

2010-05-15T13:17:00.000-05:00

The setup: it's about a lost Mexican tribe, the Tarahumara s. The book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Distance running was revered because it was indispensable; it was the way we survived and thrived and spread across the planet. You ran to eat and to avoid being eaten; you ran to find a mate and to impress her, and with her you ran off to start a new life together. You had to love running, or you wouldn't live to love anything else. And like everything else we love--everything we sentimentally call our "passions" and "desires"--it's really an encoded ancestral necessity. We were born to run; we were born because we run. We're all Running People, and the Tarahumara have always known.

The three funniest things I've seen in the back of a pickup...lately

2010-05-10T18:08:00.000-05:00

$30,000 motorcycle, $700 pickup. Isn't that like substituting a shopping cart for a baby jogger?

The multi-tasker

Whiskey, tango, foxtrot?

Coffee Shop Cash Cow - Exposed

2010-05-03T16:13:00.004-05:00

I almost had the coffee drinking thing eliminated. Almost.

The past winter I went totally tea, herbal, hot and fresh. And then the 3:00am runs took their toll, I found myself a repeat customer at the coffee bar.

Thankfully, sunny, 80 degree days thwart my coffee craving...until I remembered the crack of a coffee shop's menu...Iced Coffee.
A quick hop to the locally owned, downtown coffee shop proved they have a decent white chocolate iced coffee drink. But I had a few problems with it.

1. a medium size was $4.85 before tipping the barista
2. the coffee base was refrigerated in an old milk jug.
3. being the food service industry hardened individual I am, I'll guarantee the base was leftover coffee
4. a squirt of white chocolate flavored syrup and cream were the only other ingredients (besides left over coffee)
5. did I mention I paid $4.85 (before tip, and tip your barista, folks) for a 12 oz drink?
6. ...a 12 oz drink that was at least 8 oz ice (I.e., water) with 3 oz leftover coffee, a fl. oz of heavy cream and a splash of simple syrup.

What a cash cow! Food cost < 3% (A point of reference...successful mid-level to white tablecloth restaurants have a goal food cost of 30% and 20%, respectively. Fast foods run about a 50% food cost. IJS)

Soooooo...can one make a decent Iced Coffee at home. Ubetcha! Here's how....and bonus points to me for making it lower calorie with less sugar.

First of all brew however many pots your coffee maker needs to make a half gallon of STRONG coffee. I brewed my double strength. It took about a buck.20 worth of coffee. For authenticity poor in a used gallon milk jug. While it's hot add about 1/3 cup of sugar (or to taste) and mix to dissolve.

Cool in an ice bath. Store in the fridge.

For my taste preference I've found 3 parts coffee to one part dairy is perfect. I use 2% milk. You'll need about 3 cups total of milk for this amount of coffee...about $0.60 worth of milk. But don't add the milk until you're ready to mix and drink.

I also like a drop or two of high quality vanilla such as Watkins.

Fill a glass, or tumbler about 3/4 full with ice, pour in the chilled coffee to about an inch from the top. Splash in the dairy and add your flavoring of choice. Mix and sip. Thank me later.

Let's recap: Purchased iced coffee = $4.85 for about 6 fl.oz of product = or $0.80/fl.oz. Homemade = $1.90 for about 85 fl.oz. of product = or $0.03/fl.oz

You decide. This has been a public service announcement.

To My Fellow(ette) Clindocians

2010-04-28T21:39:00.002-05:00

Us Bus People made the front page of the Ardmoreite today. See it here. Can you OKC people top that?

To celebrate how all of us Clindocians rock, here's a really cool song that depicts our role (in my mind*).

*this job ABSOLUTELY doesn't suck.

Rainy Day Racin' and Bakin'

2010-04-18T13:49:00.005-05:00

The sound of rain woke me this morning. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

A smiling sleep I had. Then I ran...in the rain. Running in the rain for me is like Singing in the Rain is for Gene Kelly...not that a manly-man like me would know anything about musicals...or anything like that, you know what I'm sayin', right?

Now I bake (in my hotel kitchenette), and watch NASCAR.

I think I'm an oxymoron.

A cool, gray, rainy day and the smell of banana bread seem to be a great marriage. Not that I'm an authority on great marriages.

But I am (humbly) an authority on banana bread. Here's my, self-acclaimed, world renown recipe for Banana Bread with Ghirardelli chocolate chips:

Ingreds:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (don't even try a substitute), at room temp
2 large eggs, at room temp
3 large bananas (proper bananas are the key to this recipe, here's the scoop:)

use over ripe bananas
they should have brown skins, you know the kind you usually throw away
peel'em and put'em in a zip top bag, the bananas should have a few brown spots
freeze them over night
thaw the next day, they should be really brown and slimy. This is a good thing. Do it. You will be rewarded with banana flavored exponential-ness.

1 tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
2 C. AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp good quality vanilla (I use Watkins)
6 oz (by weight) of Ghirardelli chocolate chunks
2 oz thin sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 325 and butter a 9x5 loaf pan. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and beat well after each addition.
In a small bowl mash the bananas, including their banana-y goodness juice with the milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Add to the light, fluffy, creamed butter and sugar mixture.
Mix the remaining dry ingredients together and slowly fold into the wet mixture. When the dry ingredients are almost incorporated add the chocolate and almonds. Fold lightly until distributed.

It's important to not over mix. This mix should not be over mixed. Don't over mix this mixture. A few small lumps are okay.

Did I mention to not over mix the recipe?

Put in previously buttered loaf pan and bake until the room smells so good your tummy rebels (about an hour). Use your tried-and-true method for checking done'd-ness (that's actually a word, IJS). I use the touch method, others use a toothpick or knife.

Remove from oven, invert on a rack to cool, resist for 15 (or 2) minutes. Slice. Chew. Swallow. Repeat as needed.

I think tomorrow I might have some happy co-workers.

A Day in the Life of Brent

2010-04-13T20:28:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's temporary. It's fun. And it's certainly productive. I've got a man-crush on all the guys I work with and a sister-crush on all the women.

Mercy is a pretty cool organization with really awesome employees.

And to bury the lede...here's my time-line for the last two days....

6:am: report to classroom for pre-class welcome-y admin stuff
7-11am - lecture/lab
12-1pm - break to file paperwork and organize for afternoon class
1-4pm - lecture/lab
4-5 or so pm - file paperwork from the day's classes; gather materials for the next day's classes (hand-outs, rolls, evals, ect.)
5-5:30 - errands/groceries/laundry
5:30-6:30 - Run w/Rosco
6:30-7pm - SSS
7-8pm - gather and organize material for tomorrow
8-10pm - rewine(d)
10-2am - sleep
2-4am - review material for morning and afternoon lecture/lab
4am - quick run with Rosco
5am - shower and dress for 6am prep/class.

A shot of my box of curriculum ? (click to enlarge)

This won't last for long, so it makes me smile to see how
busy I am.

Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot (4-10-10)

2010-04-10T06:33:00.006-05:00

I wonder what it is with me and signs these days.

Crooks Law Firm? Hmmm...isn't that implied guilt? This reminds me of a Dentist in Irving, Dr. Payne.

Shouldn't the treeline and lack of pavement be a better clue?

Who Named This?

2010-03-28T16:32:00.002-05:00

Surely it wasn't a PR person (or a PC person). I still can't help chuckling every time I walk past. Yeah, I'm in the third grade.

Ranting to Reality

2010-03-27T11:44:00.014-05:00

It all started last night. A Friday night kick-off of which I hope to take the final score with me every moment of my life to my grave.

But first a digression to the dreaded "back-story"...

I've spent the last several weeks in Oklahoma City at a very fine La Quinta hotel (Quail Springs branch and I highly recommend it). The trip has been smooth, educational and I've been lucky enough to meet lots of awesome, smart and professional trainers and peers. In reality it's been way too smooth.

Enter last night.

BFF and I returned to the hotel, me with an arm-load of food and taut leash in hand. At the side entrance, closest to my room, my key-card didn't work. This I know for sure because I tried, during a balancing act, at least forty-seven times. (on the up-side, I have $47 extra in my cuss jar)

The main entrance being the only one not needing a keycard was my only other choice. The problem: shiny white, slick marble-y floors are not on Rosco's preference list. He says they are not doable, end of discussion.

I understand this quirk...mine = canned asparagus.

After returning BFF and the food to the car for a brief wait I soloed into the fine La Quinta to give the front desk staff an uncharacteristic Texas-style "What-For". I explained, not diplomatically, how less than happy this unexpected turn in my life had allowed me to become,...more than a minor inconvenience it was.

"I have hot food to be eaten and a live mammal to take care of," I inflated.

I didn't mention the NCAA sweet sixteen to watch (luckily).

Unjust was the situation they put me in. Very unjust.

Sleeping restlessly and waking at 5:30 for my morning run, I sipped a quick cup of coffee and checked email. The contents of which caused my heart rate to quicken before ever slipping on my Nike Free 5.0s.

There in my daily e-bank statement was a billing for $910.00 at La QuintaOKC...for a room that should have been $273.

Not to be petty, but I'm not a rich man and a $600 mistake is somewhat distressing.

This, again, is unjust-ment toward me. Specifically toward me for sure.

To shorten a "too long" story, after numerous phone calls and lots of dedication to the issue by the La Quinta management I think it's resolved...TBD.

Later in the morning I needed printer paper and dog food. Down the road is a Walmart. There Rosco and I went.

A ream of paper, I discovered, is $4, not the usual $2.97 I pay at "my" Walmart. Unjust I think, but in my basket it lands.

The small bag of the Iams dog food I always buy (again at "my" Walmart) for $6.47 is $11.27. What's with the price gouging, OKCWalmart?

Is "Unjust Me" tattooed on my forehead?

Ambling toward the checkout stand passing through the pharmacy section I remembered needing a bottle of multi-vits (full disclosure, it was really a fiber supplement...I know TMI). They didn't have my regular (pun intended) brand, but generously offered an alternative...for a 50% unjust upcharge.

As I made my selection there was an older gentleman, perhaps in his upper seventies leaning on the pharmacy counter, speaking loudly on his cell phone. L-O-U-D-L-Y!

Surely you know how folks (especially old folks, shame on me for the sterotype) speak so loudly on the phone....yes?

Unjust.

Luckily I heard his side of the conversation. Here, to my best recollection, is his verbatim:

"I'm so sorry I haven't returned your call until now. Yesterday morning my wife died. I've been confused, I guess I'm in mourning."

That was right before I kinda lost it. (Thank you sun glasses, self-checkout and a Walmart where no one knows me)

Hey, Mister Older Gentleman, my condolences and thanks for re-framing my defination of "unjust".

I now know how perfect my life is.

Sportsmanship Anyone?

2010-02-27T21:43:00.002-06:00

Here's a screen capture after the final 4-person Bobsled run. Germany 1 was in the lead for a gold, the USA was on their final run.
The USA sled was spectacular and I think the Germans appreciated it.

Wouldn't the world be a better place if all athletes...strike that, EVERYONE...had the German's attitude?

Winter Sports - my way

2010-02-13T18:03:00.005-06:00

Other than the combination of wet and windy I love running (or just being outside) in almost any weather. Sweaty, hot and nasty...I'm there. Rain? Bring it on. Sunshine and 20 degrees? My pleasure, I'm in shorts with my really cool Moeben bamboo sleeves (I might not even wear a shirt).

But running in fresh snow is not a common-goodness opportunity. I love the soft, wet powder and the dampening of the footlanding sound it brings. It's the anti-mp3 player.

Here's a shot from yesterday's run:

February 12 - a time to celebrate!

2010-02-12T00:18:00.001-06:00

Why my party hat, you ask?

Maybe to celebrate Lincoln's birthday? Nope. Or the forth anniversary of former Vice President Cheney's shooting a lawyer? Nada. How about superstar talk show host Arsenio Hall's day of birth? Sorry.

Three strikes. You're out!

It's the Winter Olympics, baby!

They're back and this makes me happy. Admittedly, I'm not much of a winter sport participant (unless you include running in snow, which I love to do). But I find nothing more motivating on a cold night than a cup of hot tea and 3 or 4 hours of recorded Winter Olympics to replay.

I'll especially be watching the following favorite events (listed in order):

10. Snowboard Cross - like NASCAR on ice with no protection and not going 200mph
9. Ski Jumping - my first love of winter sports
8. Speed Skating - rock stars
7. Ice Hockey - I can still remember 1980. Greatest sporting event. Ever.
6. Bobsleigh - whatever happened to Bob-sled?
5. Luge - kinda crazy people involved
4. Skeleton - make those folks riding the luge look conservative
3. Cross-country skiing - I long for this skill
2. Biathlon - if I'd been born in Canada, I'd be a world champion at this.

And #1 is:

Curling - yeah, I said that. And before you ask me why, please have "why not" answered.

Random Winter Olympic question: Whatever happened to speed skiing?
Speculative answer: maybe it was the 150mph speeds and needing a quarter mile of the .6 mile course to stop.

Be assured I'll spend the next 16 days in Olympic bliss.

Walmart vs. Whole Foods? Locavore myth busted

2010-02-10T16:39:00.004-06:00

The Atlantic does an interesting article in the March issue comparing, and taste-testing, local/organic products procured from Walmart and Whole Foods Market. Read it, it's an eye opener.

In slightly related news...this morning while walking through Walmart's produce section I overheard this remark from a mother to her 5-6 year old daughter: "No honey, mommy don't have enough money to get you no fruit." (the mother had a cart load of chips and cookies)

These two things make me sad.

5 Greatest Super Bowl Commercials - in my brain's memory

2010-02-06T12:24:00.002-06:00

Although the past few years have yielded sub-par commercials I have high hopes for tomorrow's offerings.

I hope the game is good, too. (I digress)

Some sexy, some humorous and of course some controversial, but let's mainly wish for creative.

Last year the Super Bowl wouldn't air the very cool PETA commercial. This year it won't air Man Crunch.

But they will air the ultra conservative organization Focus on the Family's pro-life ad staring Tim Tebow and mother. (Notice on the FotF link I provided it's a .com not a .org. I'mJustSayin')

So here we go for the top 5, and if you'll read/watch to the finish you might just find a bonus...

#5 is from 1998 and had a insect as the star: The Tabasco Mosquito.

And at #4, starring a lady who reminds me of my grandmother: Wendy's "Where's the Beef" from 1984.

#3 was in 2005. We rode a wave a patriotism while Anheuser-Busch sprung for this commercial.

Larry Bird and Michael Jordan teamed with McDonalds in 1993 for what is nearly my all time favorite Super Bowl Commercial. #2 on the list is:

But the #1 Super Bowl commercial in the history of ever, natch, is the one from Coke in 1979 and started the whole "really cool Super Bowl commercials" thing. For this we owe many thanks. Starring the toughest, baddest NFL player ever, Mean Joe Green and a little kid. Hit it.

And you've read this far? Let me fulfill my promise with a bonus:

Happy Holidays you had, yes?

2010-01-23T16:19:00.002-06:00

I hope so, perhaps...

presenting presents, fireplace frolicking, Snuggler snuggling or nog noshing?

Good on ya! And a belated happy holidays!

Me...? A little less traditional. Let's recap while making a short story long.

The plan: picking up my big brother (aka MBB) and his fiance, Super Sister-in-Law (SSIL) at DFW. Arrival time 11:35pm on Christmas Eve. Then bring them back to the family holiday celebration. No problem, says I.

Mother Nature had other plans.

December 24=blizzard. Read all about the mess I got myself into here. I left at 6:00 pm for a routine three hour drive to the airport. Eighteen and a half hours later I had traveled a distance that usually takes me fifty minutes. 18-freaking-hours and 30-freaking-minutes!

And I foolishly didn't bring a book (or two), nor did I have my mp3 player...so I listened to pre-programmed Christmas music...for 18.5 hours. I NEVER want to hear another Christmas carol. N-E-V-E-R!

And then another three hours of icy-road driving to the airport. Luckily I had a pile of lovingly made ham sandwiches, a jar of Dijon, a gallon of spring water and a full tank of petrol.

Thanks MBB and SSIL for spending the night, and most of Christmas Day in the terminal.

Another four and a half hours and we finally were back for the holiday celebration, albeit a day late.

So take this as fair warning - next year I'm skipping Christmas. BAH-HUM-BUG!

Dear Blog,

2010-01-23T07:53:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry I've neglected you. However, I have missed you. I promise a post soon! How about a holiday recap?

Sincerely,
Brent

PS...Happy Birthday!

$64k Question

2009-12-27T21:56:00.006-06:00

Which of these guys...

has his nose on upside down?

Stalking the Stalkers

2009-12-27T15:53:00.009-06:00

I've been trying to get a shot of this Bobcat mom and kitten for a few weeks. Today was finally my lucky day.

It looks like they had duck for a holiday dinner.

This is about as close of a shot at the kitten as I could get.

Momcat tried to lure me off but kept a close eye on the kitten. She's actually a lot bigger than I thought. The closer I got, the bigger she was. I decided to leave her alone and go about my way. BFF was remarkably calm, unlike myself.

Less than a quarter mile away were, by my count, at least seven deer. Here's the only shot that was half way clear.

And again, less than a quarter mile from the deer was my favorite pack of feral hogs.
I finally had an opportunity to see the boar close-up. He's huge! This shot shows him bringing up the rear. There's a ham joke somewhere, I'm just too lazy to work it out.

This was probably one of my best wildlife spotting days ever.

White Christmas anyone?

2009-12-24T09:58:00.003-06:00

Searching the archives of my brain (didn't take long) I can never remember having an actual white Christmas. But my 50th may be the magical one. Not so sure that makes me happy.

27 degrees with steady 40mph winds and 60mph gusts for a 6 degree chill factor.

Hey, big bro, you sure you don't miss the Bahamian holidays?

Excuse me while I go shovel the walk.

My New Favorite Running Book

2009-12-16T15:14:00.024-06:00

Scooch over Rachel Toor and Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running, there's a new sheriff in town, Mark Remy and The Runner's Rule Book.

Awe. Some.

But first the back story. I've spent the last 27 days nursing a stress fracture (third metatarsal of my left foot, thanks for asking) and it hasn't been much fun. I've learned to dislike an elliptical trainer as much as a Stairmaster (two pieces of equipment with which I've been known to have an occasional, enjoyable fling). Also in that category...my mp3 player being stuck in my ears...and the view out of a smudge-stained plate glass window gazing upon a desolate street where, it seems, only law enforcement officers and an occasional delivery truck passes (if anyone needs to rent furniture or a TV, I have the number memorized). I digress.

Five important things I've learned:

5. Being on a stationary exercise machine is un-nerving in case one needs to escape a mugging; at least when running I have a pretty good chance of getting away unharmed (And it counts as fartlek training. A release, fartleking is.).

4. ESPN discusses the same three topics, ad nauseum.

3. I hate leaving BFF in the backseat; he, just watching me with his head cocked is sad.

2. It's impossible to read on an elliptical trainer.

1. It's not impossible to confuse Fox News with a SNL skit.

But I did find a way to enjoy three hours on the Stairmaster, enter The Runner's Rule Book. Yes, at 166 pages I averaged about a page a minute, including contemplation. (Hey, I never claimed to be very smart or a fast reader.)

And Remy gives a reading runner lots to contemplate.

Any runner with even minimal experience will find him/herself with a palm print on the forehead and a "I could have written that" realization after most pages. Newish runners, or those thinking of embarking on a running program - this is a must read - I'm looking at you, Santa Claus.

A few of my favorite Remy-isms include:

Keep unsolicited advice to yourself
Know your pace
Stand still at red lights
You'll find the runner's high when you stop looking
Line up where you belong
Never miss a chance to thank a volunteer

But my favorite Remy-ism is...
Run like a dog. He goes on to give a dog's workout, much like my BFF's. Here it is:

Warmup - walk 8 seconds.
Trot 4 seconds.
Stop. Sniff.
Sprint 7 seconds.
Freeze.
Walk 5 seconds in any direction but forward.
Pause. Stare 9 seconds.
Lunge at rabbit.
Stop.
Double back, walk 3 seconds.
Urinate.
Repeat six to eight times.
Cooldown: Collapse on a rug.

On a scale, with 1 being your next door neighbor complaining of having had "shin splints" when he was in junior high, to 10 being Meb Kefizinghi, this book is Mebtastic.

The Runner's Rule Book, by Mark Remy; 166 pgs; hardcover; $17.99 USD; wide availability.

Two Sides of Sandra

2009-12-15T19:39:00.004-06:00

Just winding up the viewing of a few movies.

The Blindside with Sandra Bullock; great story, but movie...not so much; read about it here; save yourself 2+ hours and a few bucks. Sandra Bullock is; however, hotter than ever. Note to Sandra: blond doesn't do it for you, but not to worry, I'm still crushing. Note to Michael Oher: I've got a man-crush on you.

Sideways with Sandra Oh; dark story, great movie; why do awesome movies always have a bleak storyline? Note to Sandra Oh: hmmm....can't think of a suggestion for improvement...maybe one of those running skirts? Sorry, that's the best I can do.

Bonus upbeat storyline: No Reservations, Catherine Zeta-Jones (in a kitchen) gets my attention. But her name isn't Sandra, so shame on me for adding this graf to the post.

Sometimes things work out better than expected

2009-12-13T15:15:00.008-06:00

A final update on Freddie the Hawk: Here's a recent message I received from Wallie and Yolande.

"Well Brent ,just a note to tell you the ferruginous hawk is doing well . It was touch and go for a while. He not only had the injury's we could see , but the roof of his mouth had been split and was bleeding from there as well. We had to do some work on that to stop the bleeding. He is starting to get an appetite back and is starting to eat on his own again. We still are not sure weather or not he has badly bruised lungs or not as he still has problems with his breathing , but is doing better on that as well . Here are some pictures . Will take more when he's up to it . Have a Merry Christmas Wallie & Yolande"

Folks who do this type of stuff, for nothing other than self-fulfillment, are blessed people.

Puppie Presents - Holiday Edition 2009

2009-12-12T17:24:00.005-06:00

Bag of raw hide chews = $14.95
Extra soft 300 count woven Egyptian cotton chew rope with certified Black Angus hoof chew attachments = $39.99

Stick = priceless